AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2024 - 12

LETTERS
Destinations:
Chesapeake Bay
More information on a delightful
East Coast fly-out
I enjoyed Ian J. Twombly's fine article,
" Destinations: Chesapeake Bay " (March 2024,
AOPA Pilot). Regarding Tangier Island, I'd like
to supplement the article's information. I've
flown onto Tangier Island five times, with each
visit lasting a minimum of four hours, and have
studied the island and its people. I've always
found the residents to be very friendly and
willing to talk, and I've typically been greeted
by friendly waves when walking or golf-carting
around the small island. While one of the two
main restaurants is seasonal, the other one has
been reliably open. There's also a small but wonderfully
curated museum/visitor center that is
extremely interesting and well worth the small
admission. In addition, there is a small grocery
store, gift shops, boat dock, ice cream shops,
beach, crabbing shacks, and a small K through
12 school. Tangier Island ( " Crabbing Capital of
the World " ) is well worth a visit to see another
way of life, albeit on a disappearing island. Don't
expect a touristy Cape Cod-type experience,
but do expect a unique micro-culture of hardy,
interesting, religious people who bravely face
challenges every day.
Roy Baldassari
Lawrenceville, New Jersey
Digital Debate
Kollin Stagnito points out the many benefits of
glass panels ( " Digital Debate, " AOPA Pilot, March
2024) but failed to mention any glass panel drawbacks.
I flew many fighters over my 20-year
career in the U.S. Air Force and the blindfold
cockpit check was a standard test when learning a
new aircraft. The trainee would sit in the aircraft
or simulator with eyes closed while the instructor
prompted him to enter guard frequency in
the UHF radio or enter 7700 in the transponder
or arm missiles. All of these actions and more
were only possible when cockpit avionics and
weapons delivery panels were populated with
knobs and rotary switches that provided tactile
feedback to the pilot, leaving his eyes outside to
maintain visual with a target or traffic. Yes, glass
panels provide a wealth of information, but they
also have their drawbacks. I'm not a fan of touch
12
AOPA PILOT / May 2024
screen digital glass panels and would prefer those
glass panels that retain solid knobs and switches
to interact with the pilot and maintain that
tactile connection.
Ron Schreck
Gilbert, Arizona
I have equipped aircraft with both analog/steam
gauges and all-glass. I teach both. For me it ends
up being all about the ability of the eye/mind
to absorb the information the instrumentation
is presenting. My latest aircraft ended up with
a mixture. Of everything available out there, I
found Aspen plus steam to be the right combination.
I like analog altimeter, VSI, airspeed,
and turn-and-slip (needle-ball, not turn coordinator)
because I can absorb the data at just a
glance. Not only do I get that the pointers are in
the right place, I get which way they are moving
and how fast.
Now, that having been said, when I am flying
IFR in IMC, I find a glass PFD preferable. Why?
Because I am not maneuvering. Everything is
steady state. I find that, even though I started
with Garmin, both GNS and GTN, Avidyne wins
for an easy-to-use and easy-to-remember operation.
So, yes, we need both. I found the way to
have both in my current aircraft. My students
seem to like it as well.
Brian Lloyd
Spring Branch, Texas
War on jugs
The interesting article ( " Savvy Maintenance:
Ending the War on Jugs, " March 2024) regarding
piston engine cylinder assemblies may be
OK for small single-engine airplanes with a
gross weight below 6,000 pounds. However,
I am absolutely
in favor of glass
cockpits. To me,
you have so much
more situational
awareness and you
are less likely to
make errors. While
I appreciate the
reverence some
have for the old six
pack, I'm firmly on
the glass side of
the equation!
John Saviano
Miami Beach, Florida
DESTINATIONS
Looking south toward the mouth
of the Patuxent River and the
eponymous naval air station.
CHESAPEAKE BAY
In Captain
Smith's
f tsteps
Exploring the Chesapeake Bay by air
BY IAN J. TWOMBLY
PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID TULIS
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AOPA PILOT / March 2024
AOPA PILOT / March 2024
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - May 2024

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